With Labor Day weekend around the corner, chef Danny Grant stopped by "Good Morning America" on Thursday with a lineup of elevated yet approachable dishes perfect for summer entertaining.
Grant, the chef behind Maple & Ash, shared crowd-friendly recipes for grilled steak, sweet corn, meatballs and burrata that home cooks can easily recreate for their own gatherings.
Check out his full recipes below.
Serves 2
Ingredients
1 bone-in ribeye or New York strip, about 20–24 oz and 1½–2 inches thick
1 1/2 teaspoons kosher salt
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1 tablespoon neutral oil, such as canola or grapeseed
Flaky sea salt, for finishing
Directions
Season the steak: Pat the steak completely dry with paper towels.
Season generously on all sides with kosher salt and black pepper. For the best result, refrigerate uncovered for at least 1 hour or up to overnight.
Remove from the refrigerator about 30 minutes before grilling.
Preheat the grill: Heat an outdoor grill or grill pan over high heat. The cooking surface should be very hot before the steak goes on.
Lightly coat the steak with neutral oil.
Grill the steak: Place the steak over the hottest part of the grill and cook without moving it for about 3–4 minutes, until a deep crust develops.
Flip and cook another 3–4 minutes.
Continue cooking, flipping occasionally, until the steak reaches your preferred doneness:
- Rare: 120–125°F
- Medium-rare: 125–130°F
- Medium: 135–140°F
For a particularly thick steak, move it to a cooler section of the grill after searing and finish over more moderate heat.
Transfer the steak to a cutting board and let it rest for 8–10 minutes before slicing.
Slice against the grain into thick pieces and finish with flaky sea salt.
Serves 4
Ingredients
For the smoked peach butter
1 ripe peach
1 stick unsalted butter, softened
2 tablespoons honey
2 tablespoons finely chopped Calabrian chiles
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste
For the corn
4 ears sweet corn
1/2 small red onion, cut into thick rings
2 tablespoons garlic butter
1/4 cup finely diced fresh peach
1/4 cup finely grated Pecorino Romano cheese
1 tablespoon chopped fresh chives
Zest of 1 lime
Juice of 1 lime
Fresh shiso leaves, for garnish
Edible summer flowers, optional
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
Directions
Make the smoked peach butter: Heat a grill or grill pan over medium-high heat. Grill the peaches, cut side down, until softened and lightly charred. Once cool enough to handle, remove the skins and mash the flesh.
In a bowl, combine about ½ cup mashed peach with the softened butter, honey, and Calabrian chiles. Season with salt and pepper and mix until smooth. Set aside.
Grill the onion: Lightly coat the onion rings with oil and season with salt and pepper. Grill until tender and lightly charred. Let cool slightly, then roughly chop.
Cook the corn: Cut the kernels from the cobs. Toss the corn with the garlic butter and a pinch of salt. Spread on a baking sheet and roast at 450°F for about 6 to 8 minutes, or until the corn is hot and beginning to caramelize.
Finish the dish: Transfer the warm corn mixture to a bowl and toss with about 1/4 cup smoked peach butter, the diced fresh peach, Pecorino Romano, lime juice, and chives.
Garnish and serve: Spoon onto a serving platter and finish with fresh lime zest, shiso leaves, and edible flowers if using.
Serves 4
Ingredients
For the meatballs
8 oz dry-aged beef chuck, cut into small cubes
6 oz tri-tip, cut into small cubes
6 oz pork shoulder, cut into small cubes
3 oz beef fat, finely chopped
1/2 small yellow onion, finely chopped
2 cloves garlic, finely chopped
2 tablespoons red wine
2 oz fontina, cut into small cubes
1 large egg
1/2 cup cubed crusty bread
1/4 cup whole milk
1/3 cup finely grated Parmesan
1/4 cup whole-milk ricotta
1 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce
Pinch of red pepper flakes
1 teaspoon fresh thyme leaves, chopped
1 teaspoon fresh oregano, chopped
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1 teaspoon kosher salt
For the marinara
1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil
1/2 small yellow onion, finely chopped
2 cloves garlic, minced
Pinch of red pepper flakes
1 28-ounce can whole peeled tomatoes
3–4 fresh basil leaves
Kosher salt, to taste
Directions
Make the marinara: Heat olive oil in a saucepan over medium-low heat. Add onion, garlic, and red pepper flakes and cook until softened and translucent without browning, about 5 minutes.
Crush the tomatoes by hand and add them along with their juices. Season lightly with salt and simmer for about 30 minutes.
Add the basil, remove from the heat, and let steep for about 15–20 minutes. Remove the basil and set the sauce aside.
Prepare the meatball mixture: Cook the onion and garlic with the red wine in a small skillet over medium-low heat until soft and the wine has mostly evaporated. Let cool.
If grinding the meat yourself, combine the beef chuck, tri-tip, pork shoulder, beef fat, salt, and fontina and chill very well. Grind together with the cooled onion mixture.
If using butcher-ground meat, simply combine the ground meats with the cooled onion mixture and diced fontina.
Soak the bread in the milk for a few minutes until softened.
Add the soaked bread, egg, Parmesan, ricotta, Worcestershire, red pepper flakes, thyme, oregano, and black pepper to the meat mixture. Mix gently until evenly combined.
Form into approximately 2-ounce meatballs.
Brown and roast: Preheat the oven to 425°F.
Spread some marinara in the bottom of a small baking dish or ovenproof skillet. Add the meatballs along with a few sweet peppers and roasted or confit garlic cloves.
Roast until the meatballs are deeply browned and cooked through, about 15–20 minutes, or until the centers reach 160°F.
For extra char, finish them briefly under the broiler.
Finish & serve: Spoon additional marinara around the meatballs.
Top with the spicy olives and generous spoonfuls of herb salsa. Arrange the sweet peppers around the dish and serve hot, ideally with grilled or toasted bread for the sauce.
Serves 4
Ingredients
For the pickled watermelon rind
Rind from 1/2 small watermelon
1 cup champagne vinegar
1 cup apple cider vinegar
1 3/4 cups water
1/4 cup sugar
1 teaspoon kosher salt
1 tablespoon pickling spice
1 small cinnamon stick
For the salad
2 cups seedless watermelon, cut into 1-inch cubes
1/2 cup of pickled watermelon rind
1 small English cucumber, cut into 1-inch obliques
2–3 large heirloom tomatoes
1 cup cherry tomatoes
8 ounces burrata
1/2 small red or sweet onion, thinly sliced
Fresh basil leaves
Fresh mint leaves
Small handful arugula
Extra-virgin olive oil
Flaky sea salt
Freshly ground black pepper
Edible marigold petals, optional
Directions
Pickle the watermelon rind: Remove the green outer skin from the watermelon rind and cut the white rind into small bite-size pieces. Combine the vinegars, water, sugar, salt, pickling spice, and cinnamon stick in a saucepan. Bring to a simmer, stirring until the sugar and salt dissolve.
Place the rind in a heatproof container and pour the warm pickling liquid over it. Cool, cover, and refrigerate overnight.
Prepare the tomatoes: Bring the tomatoes to room temperature for the best flavor. Cut the heirloom tomatoes into wedges or thick slices and halve the cherry tomatoes. Season generously with the pickling liquid, salt, and freshly ground black pepper.
Build the salad: In a bowl, gently toss the watermelon, cucumbers, pickled watermelon rind, sliced onion, torn basil, and mint with a small amount of the reserved pickling liquid.
Arrange the seasoned tomatoes on a serving platter and spoon the watermelon mixture over the top.
Finish and serve: Tear or spoon the burrata around the salad. Finish with arugula, additional basil and mint, a generous drizzle of extra-virgin olive oil, flaky sea salt, and edible marigold petals if using.
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